Detroit Golf Club expanded rapidly after its 1899 founding and, following a major land acquisition in 1913, retained Donald Ross to lay out two separate eighteens. Ross’s plan set for the property is dated 1914; construction proceeded during 1915–16 and both the North and South courses opened for play in 1916. The club’s own historical account explicitly attributes both courses to Ross and pegs completion to that year, with the Kahn clubhouse finished in 1918. Contemporary club materials and later historical summaries offer no evidence that Ross returned for a formal redesign phase on the North after opening; subsequent changes appear to have been piecemeal and mid-century in origin. Notably, the club’s current restorative master plan documents that the original No. 4 green was moved in the 1950s, and that assorted features—such as a pond near No. 14—were introduced long after Ross.
In 2024–25 the membership approved a comprehensive restorative master plan led by architect Tyler Rae, scheduled to begin after the 2025 Rocket Mortgage Classic and targeted for completion in 2026. The plan relies on Ross’s 1914 drawings and a 1931 aerial to re-establish original green sizes and shapes, bunker placements and scales, fairway widths, and a network of historic ditches and swales that once provided both drainage and diagonal strategic hazards.
Unique Design Characteristics (by hole)
Even in its pre-restoration state, the North retains the Ross pattern of giving width but rewarding the player who fights for the preferred angle into raised or canted greens—often with bunkering set diagonally to the line of play:
No. 3 (Par 3, uphill): Plays slightly longer than its card due to elevation; a spine through the back section complicates recovery and two-putting. The hole is sufficiently distinctive that a version appears on the Ross Memorial course at Boyne Highlands.
No. 4 (Par 4): A demanding tee shot to the left side opens the approach into a two-tiered green. The master plan records that Ross’s original green sat behind a centerline fairway bunker on a natural rise and was moved in the 1950s; the planned restoration reinstates the original bunker concept while keeping the modern green site for contemporary yardage balance.
No. 5 (Par 5): Tee-shot accuracy determines whether the player can attack in two; a left-side tree and short-right bunkers dictate a nuanced lay-up for those laying back. The plan re-emphasizes Ross’s intent by widening fairway and re-establishing a crossing ditch that adds both drainage and tactical interest.
No. 7 (Par 3, long): Presents a stout mid-to-long-iron with proposed reinstatement of bold fore-bunkering from the 1914 plan and restoration of the original green shape; historic photos will guide the exact forms.
No. 8 (Par 4): A centerline bunker will be restored on a natural ridge to re-create the classic “pick a side” tee shot, with green corners recaptured to expand pinning variety.
No. 10 (Par 4): The left “speed-slot” over a diagonal bunker is integral; players bailing right face approach bunkers that partially obscure the putting surface. The green will be re-oriented to reward the bold tee ball up the left.
No. 11 (Par 3): A long one-shotter framed by wing bunkers; the plan adds a rear Ross tee to preserve intended club selection and recovers a fore-bunker concept to challenge indecisive tee shots.
No. 12 (Par 4): Alternating fairway bunkers keyed to diagonal landforms restore the classic Ross demand to favor the bunker opposite the day’s hole location; corners of the green will be recaptured.
No. 14 (Par 5): Historically defended by a ditch that ran the length of the left side; the plan removes a modern pond, reinstates the ditch as a “half-stroke” penalty, and restores rhythmic lay-up bunkers to create three distinct shots.
No. 18 (Par 4 finish): A diagonal penalty area on the approach and a severe, multi-contoured green define the hole; famously, the 1992 U.S. Mid-Amateur was decided here when the finalist four-putted under pressure.
Clearest surviving Ross sequences. The routing itself has remarkable continuity; holes such as 2–3, 8–12, and 18 occupy their historic corridors with green pads and bunker schemes that, while shrunken or softened over time, are readily legible and are the backbone of the current restoration scope. By contrast, No. 4 is specifically documented as a changed green site (1950s), and No. 14 accumulated water features inconsistent with Ross—both now targets for correction.
Historical Significance
The North Course is a representative example of Ross’s large-scale municipal-adjacent commissions of the 1910s, where he laid out multiple courses over contiguous property and used subtle land movement and diagonal bunkering rather than water to create interest. Within Ross’s Michigan portfolio it sits alongside notable 1910s work at nearby clubs and has been a consistent championship venue. The course hosted the 1992 U.S. Mid-Amateur (won by Danny Yates) and now anchors the Rocket Mortgage Classic, where the TOUR uses a composite routing comprising 17 holes from the North and one from the South to accommodate infrastructure and flow. Among raters and commentators the North is often cited as a classic Detroit-area Ross that could climb in stature with historically grounded work; recent coverage of the Tyler Rae plan underscores the promise of restoring original green sizes, ditch features, and bunker geometry that tournament preparation had gradually obscured.
Current Condition / Integrity
Routing & greens. The routing is substantially original. Many green pads remain in their historic locations but had shrunk over time; in a few instances (e.g., No. 4) the site itself changed. The master plan calls for re-expanding greens to Ross dimensions, recapturing corners and internal contour he documented in plan and reflected in the 1931 aerial.
Bunkering. Over decades, hazards lost scale and strategic bite. The restoration will rebuild bunkers in original locations—often centerline or fore-bunkers that create layered visuals and decision-making—while re-establishing alternating fairway hazards at holes like 12. Historic photos guide precise shaping on holes such as 7.
Ditches, swales & water. A defining element of the plan is reviving historic drainage ditches (e.g., 3, 5, 14, 17, 18) and broad swales that both dry the property and re-introduce diagonal carries at ground level. Modern ponds that hold water and blunt strategy (notably on 14) are slated for removal.
Trees & width. The club acknowledges corridor narrowing and turf stress from over-planting; the plan prescribes significant thinning to restore sun, air, and intended fairway widths, especially where holes share long interfaces (e.g., 16–17).
Tournament vs. member setup. Members play the North at 7,013 yards / par 72 from the back (Gold) tees. The Rocket Mortgage Classic uses a composite configuration—17 North + 1 South—at approximately 7,370 yards, and the master plan presents proposed “RC” yardages reflecting restored features and tee options.
Sources & Notes
Detroit Golf Club – “Course Tour: North Course” (official hole descriptions, everyday scorecard with totals, and Rocket Mortgage composite card).
Detroit Golf Club – “Through the Years” (club history noting both Ross courses completed in 1916, Kahn clubhouse in 1918, and membership approval of a $16M restoration led by Tyler Rae beginning 2025).
Detroit Golf Club – “Golf Course Masterplan (June 2025)” (per-hole restoration notes referencing the 1914 Ross plan and 1931 aerial; documents mid-century changes including the 1950s relocation of No. 4 green; details on restoring ditches, fore- and centerline bunkering, and original green shapes).
PGA TOUR – “Five things to know: Detroit Golf Club” (Rocket Mortgage Classic routing uses 17 North + 1 South).
PGA TOUR – Tournament pages (2024–2025) (course played at par 72 / ~7,370 yards for the TOUR event).
USGA – U.S. Mid-Amateur records / video (host site Detroit G.C. (North Course) in 1992; Danny Yates champion).
The Fried Egg – “Design Notebook: Details on Tyler Rae’s Plans for Detroit G.C.” (scope and philosophy of the restoration; drainage/irrigation overhaul; removal of problematic trees; restoration of Ross elements including ditches).
Golf Course Architecture – “Tyler Rae to begin Ross-inspired renovation… (May 8, 2024)” (club approval, 2025 start).
WXYZ Detroit (ABC) – “Hole-by-hole renderings… (June 6, 2025)” (club-released visuals; project timing — post-2025 event with 2026 debut).
Uncertainties / Points Requiring Primary Verification
Attribution and dating of mid-century alterations: The master plan explicitly notes the 1950s change to No. 4 and later water features (e.g., No. 14), but further authorship/dates should be corroborated in project files and dated aerials.